Tuesday, 28 February 2017

It's pancake day! Make the most of it and load your pancake up with your favourite sauces, sweet treats and indulgences.

Over the last week, I've posted different recipes in the build up towards today. This is the final instalment. Whether you eat around a table, just grab food on the go or just want to snack in front of the TV, these work. In just one bite you get the warm pancake, Nutella, ice cream the marshmallows and crunch of the nuts all in one!

If you're careful all you have to wash up is the Nutella spoon... which is never left around dirty.

Scoop your ice cream onto the middle and try to create a slight cylinder shape. (I used swiss chocolate vanilla ice cream). Use your favourite - a good vanilla, stracciatella or honeycomb would work great.

Build a wall of marshmallows next to the ice cream. Using the remaining Nutella to hold them together.

Optional extra: add some chopped nuts inside. This gives you a great crunch amongst the ice cream and marshmallows.

Folding a burrito couldn't be easier. Fold over the left and right side towards the centre keeping them as tight as you can. Fold the piece of pancake closest to you as far over as it will go. Then roll the rest of the way. You're left with a fully contained dessert burrito ready to go! No sticky fingers, no mess, just pure enjoyment.

Saturday, 25 February 2017

It's a classic, Crêpe Suzette. Once you've tried them, it won't take you long to realise why! Whether it be the stickiness of the sauce, the fragrance of the orange or the warmth of the Grand Marnier, you'll soon see for yourself why it works so well.

If you dislike Grand Marnier, swap it for orange juice instead. It won't change a thing.

Recipe
Ingredients: (Makes enough for 6 pancakes)

105ml Grand Marnier
125g unsalted butter
125g caster sugar
2 oranges

Method:

Start off by making a stack of pancakes. Once made, leave them to one side. It's time to crack on with the sauce.

Start by zesting an orange into a small bowl. Once zested, peel it with a knife and remove the segments. Keep the segments to one side for now.

Juice the second orange into a bowl and combine with the zest.

Heat up the sugar and butter in a pan over a low heat. Once

the sugar starts to dissolve, turn up the heat.

Eventually, the mixture will start to caramelise into a deep amber colour. Remove from the heat and add the orange juice and zest mix. Be careful here as it's likely to pop and spit!

Return to the heat and continue to boil. Once it's been reduced into a thick sauce, add the Grand Marnier.

Heat a little longer before adding the orange segments. Turn the pan down to a low heat.

Add the folded pancakes (crêpes) to the sauce and heat back through. Coat them with the sauce.

Once the pancakes have been reheated, it's time to remove them. Add the orange segments and sauce from the pan. Finish off with a dollop of whipped cream for added enjoyment.

Friday, 24 February 2017

Few things are simpler than pancakes. Three ingredients mixed together, it's an easy recipe to comfort yourself with on a dreary day. Even here in Taiwan, the weather in February can be miserable.

Cure your winter troubles with the unmistakable smell of pancakes, the sizzle from the pan and the inevitable toss that seals your achievement. Go adventurous, go crazy! Use as many or as few toppings or as you like. Go savoury, go sweet, roll them, fold them... oh, the possibilities. Smother them in nutella or smear in jam. Fill them with bacon or drizzle them with syrup. There's nothing holding you back. Over the next few days I will be posting my favourite variations in time for pancake day.

At the bottom of the page, we have my partners favourite. Well... if I'm honest (which here I am), it's the only pancakes she will eat - nutella filled, rolled, drizzled and served with ice cream.

Thursday, 23 February 2017

With one of the most important days in my diary just around the corner, what better time to start a food blog! That's right - it's almost Pancake Day! Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday... whatever you like to call it, it may well be the best tradition.

This year I've opted for a different take on the classic - gluten free peanut and banana pancakes. They are a great alternative for this special day. They're wonderfully light, full of protein (another excuse to enjoy them) and completely moreish.

If you don't fancy trying something new, I will be posting my normal recipe so you can get ready for Pancake Day.

Peel the banana and cut into medium sized pieces. Proceed to mash them in a mixing bowl. Don't worry if it's not perfectly smooth - a few lumps just mean you'll get a delicious hit of banana in one bite!

Add the eggs. Again, don't worry about mixing carefully. These pancakes are easy to make. Minimum effort, great reward! Once the bananas and eggs are mixed together, move on.

It's time to add the crushed peanuts. These are here to give you that extra bit of texture. Of course, if crunchy peanuts aren't your thing...feel free to leave them out! This recipe is very versatile, so don't be shy to try walnuts or even some dried fruit instead. (P.S. They're great plain too!). At this point, you'll notice the mixture is quite wet. Don't let it alarm you. That's exactly how it's meant to be. They'll still come out wonderfully light and fluffy.

Put your non-stick pan on the heat. Once up to a medium-high temperature, add a drop of cooking oil and begin to ladle in the mixture to form the pancakes.

After around 45-60 seconds when they'll have an even brown colouring. It's time for the flip. Since these pancakes have no flour to give it structure, don't think you can toss the pan. It'll just end in tragedy. Simple use a lifter to turn them over.

After 30-45 seconds they will be ready. Use the lifter to remove them from the pan.

Repeat the cooking process until all the mixture is gone. Depending on the size, you should get around 8 small pancakes - the perfect portion size if you're like me!

Stack your pancakes on a plate and top with chopped white chocolate, sliced banana and a healthy spoonful of your favourite peanut butter.

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I'm Neil Collins, a professional chef, vagabond and hobbyist photographer. A Tall Order documents recipes from my kitchen and around the world. Read more about me and my travels or peruse my recipes for a new favourite meal.